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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope

Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope is the third book in the author’sChronicles
of Barsetshire series. Though some familiar
characters make short appearances,this entry mostly focuses on
characters who were unseen residents of the county in the previous books. Dr.
Thorne is a physician who operates on the outskirts of the county of Barchester.
The narrative is mostly concerned with his niece, Mary Thorne, and her romantic
interactions with Frank Gresham, heir of the squire of Greshamsbury.

Mary is the illegitimate daughter of a poor, working class girl and the
late, scandalously immoral brother of the Dr. Thorne. Upon her father’s death
and her mother’s departure for America, Thorne adapts the infant Mary. Brought
up by the headstrong but moral and decent doctor, Mary grows into her twenties as
a person of substance. Thorne is a member of a distinguished family, but he
himself is not wealthy. His slightly difficult personality gets him into
moderate social and professional difficulties.

Courted by the young Frank Gresham, Mary is placed into a compromising social
situation. She has grown up with the Gresham children and is close to the
family. The Greshams are members of the local gentry who have found themselves
in great financial difficulty. Frank’s mother, the extremely overbearing,
selfish and socially scheming Lady Arabella, is determined that Frank “marry money”
and rescue the family from financial ruin. Much of the plot involves the efforts of Lady
Arabella to keep Mary and Frank apart. Thus, Mary is banned from all social
interaction with the Gresham family. This puts the ever suffering Mary in the
position of a social pariah. Frank, in
his ardor for Mary, eventually comes to resist his mother’s edicts. Though the
two eventually become engaged, Frank’s mother continues to go to great lengths
to prevent the marriage. Great aguish and sacrifice ensues for Mary. Unbeknownst
to the Greshams, or to Mary, is the fact that Trollope’s heroine is the potential
heir to another of her uncles’ fortune, which includes the mortgaged titles to
the Gresham’s estate. There are numerous additional characters and subplots.

Though filled with themes and ideas, the main philosophical thrust of
the book explores the complex relationship between class, wealth, especially
the wealth embodied by the new capitalistic class sprung from poverty, and
genuine character. One thread of this involves what are the persistent efforts
of the old aristocratic class, who have frequently fallen into hard financial
times, to rescue themselves by marrying into the newly rich capitalist families.
Multiple such arrangements are attempted as these upper class families attempt
to arrange marriages for their sons and daughters into nouveau riche clans that
they consider to be their social inferiors.

Like the previous entries in the series, Trollope’s characters show
incredible nuance. Even the best of them show some flaws. The weaknesses are
indeed realistic shortcomings that are characteristic of real people.I am amazed at how well Trollope is able to
craft such realistic personas.

Frank Gresham is a good example. Frank is mostly a sympathetic
character and is really the male protagonist of the book. Both his fellow characters
as well as Trollope heap praise upon him, which is often deserved. At one
point, Trollope comments upon Frank, and points out that he is a more pivotal
character than Doctor Thorne, while at the same time praising him,

Those who
don't approve of a middle-aged bachelor country doctor as a hero, may take the
heir to Greshamsbury in his stead, and call the book, if it so please them,
"The Loves and Adventures of Francis Newbold Gresham the
Younger."

And Master
Frank Gresham was not ill adapted for playing the part of a hero of this sort

Indeed Frank is virtuous, he shows his substance by choosing true love
over money, he is loyal, respectful, etc.

Trollope is better than this however, and there is often more here than
initially meets the eye. A close reading of Frank reveals a few flaws. Like
many young men, he shows a little narcissism and insensitivity.

When Frank reveals his engagement to Mary, his conniving mother devises
a plan to get him out of the country. Furthermore, under extreme familial
pressure, he agrees to a complete embargo on correspondence and communication
with Mary for a year or so.

This decision puts Mary in a terrible position; she is already a social
outcast as a result of Lady Arabella’ s machinations and is now alone and
without support as she is subject to nasty social attacks. She is also subject
to hearing mostly unfounded rumors of Frank’s infidelity to her while abroad. Isolated
and without friends, Mary endures the hardships quietly and with grace. Frank,
who really should know better, seems oblivious to all of this. He proceeds on a
pleasant world tour. He flirts with women and is tempted to go further, but is convinced
to stay true to Mary by the advice of his platonic, spirited and astute friend,
Miss Dunstable.

Along with this lack of perception for the suffering of others comes a
little too much self-assurance. At one point , Trollope observes,

“His
manners were easy, his voice under his control, and words were at his command:
he was no longer either shy or noisy; but, perhaps, was open to the charge of
seeming, at least, to be too conscious of his own merits. “

Trollope reveals more complexity. Even after his return, Frank comes
under enormous and relentless pressure from family and friends to break the
engagement. The pressure is exacerbated by the fact that his financial future
with Mary looks to be bleaker and bleaker. It is almost understandable that he
inwardly begins to harbor a few doubts. Once again, Trollope hints that if not
for the influence of Miss Dunstable, the heir to squire
of Greshamsbury would waiver.

This is, of course, just one aspect to Frank. When one looks at the big
picture he is mostly a noble character who does what is right, even while under
great pressure. It is to Trollope’s credit that he has been fashioned with a
few very believable imperfections.

I found Doctor Thorne to be just a little less compelling then the previous two books.The plot seemed a little less interesting. What
were innovations of style and character in the previous books are still
wonderful touches here, but such touches are just not as unique as they were. Regardless,
this is still an excellent novel. It is characterized by amusing and
interesting characters, many of whom I have not even mentioned here. It is
fairly well packed with ideas and musings upon life. It is funny and
entertaining. Trollope continues to engage in his unorthodox point of view and
use of meta-fiction, as I describe here. Highly recommended, but I
would read the first two books first.

My
commentary on the first book in the Chronicles of Barsetshire series, The Warden is here.

31 comments:

This is truly an author I need to read! Last time you posted on Barchester Towers, I put the book on my TBR list. I may have to move it up a notch or two. I loved Gaskell, and somehow I think this series will be similar.

I downloaded a lot of Trollope's novels from Amazon (they were free, yay!) because of your previous reviews on this author.

I am currently reading "The Eustace Jewels" and am greatly enjoying it. (I'll be posting a review as soon as I finish it.)

I plan to comment, as you did, on the observations that Trollope makes concerning the class system and the pressure to live like a rich person because of your station in life or your title, even when you don't have the money- consequently conniving to marry for money etc..

It's fascinating to me and I wonder how this class system came to be developed and what factor did it play on the future economic structure of England as well as all of Europe.

I have not read "The Eustace Jewels" I look forward to reading what you have to say about it.

One thing about the class system in this book is how it was being infiltrated by the newly rich Capitalists.

I wish that I too knew more about how the class system evolved in Europe. In "The Radicalism of the American Revolution" Gordon Wood analyzes why things developed differently in America. I found it to be a fascinating read.

Just reading your thoughts on it makes me want to pick up this book but I'll take your suggestion and read the other two first. Have you watched a series called Downton Abbey? Your review reminds me of it.

Hi Delia - I think that I would like Downtown Abbey. I watch. Almost no television.as there really is so little time. Maybe when I retire :) This book. An be read as a standalone but a thought that the previuos two were just a wee bit better.

"infiltrated" - yes, exactly. Trollope is chronicling the ongoing collapse of the class system. He is the great Victorian novelist of change, or at any rate social and financial change, not so much ideas.

Trollope was such a prolific writer! I like that his novels are realist - Dickens and Gaskell just annoy me with their cloying Victorian sentimentality. Also, I like the way he deals with class and illegitimacy in Doctor Thorne: Mary is a very upright character and doesn't deserve to be treated the way she is. I'm glad you found much to appreciate in the book. You probably won't ever run out of Trollope novels to read. :)

" Unbeknownst to the Greshams, or to Mary, is the fact that Trollope’s heroine is the potential heir to another of her uncles’ fortune.."The plot thickens. Lady Anna concerns a young woman who is engaged to a man of no fortune whatsoever when she finally comes into her inheritance. Her mother wants her to marry a cousin and not marry for love, so it's another side of the same coin.

I'm much more interested in the Russian/Soviet class war than the collapse of the class system in England these days, Brian. That being said, I appreciate what you say about Trollope's nuanced characterizations and narrative subtlety. I'll have to give him a go someday, but I'll start with a different book in this series.

OMG.....I'm SO far behind on reading your excellent posts....well, I'll try to catch up as soon as I can!

I see that you're a HUGE Trollope fan! I really must get to this author, because you make him sound so intriguing and compelling.

This book in particular has captured my attention because there's romance involved. I just can't resist reading a good romance! (What woman can? Lol.) However, I see that this novel goes beyond that, and contains a lot of social commentary, which of course makes it more universally appealing.

It's so sad that the concept of arranged marriages dominated society -- especially aristocratic society -- for so long. People simply weren't sensitive to the fact that love is much more important than wealth. Or perhaps they were simply cynical about the possibility of such a thing as "true love" even existing. It was very common, with these arranged marriages, that one or both spouses would have a lover on the side, and people just pretended this was not going on.....How HYPOCRITICAL.

I also find it highly ironic, as well as outrageously FUNNY, that the aristocracy, having fallen upon financial hardship, were suddenly forced to arrange marriages with the "nouveau riches" capilatists they looked down their noses on!! Ha, ha, ha, ha!!!! Serves them RIGHT for being so freaking snobbish!!

Well, Mr. Trollope shall certainly find his way to my reading schedule, and very soon, I hope! I like him more and more, with each excellent post you write about his books!!

P.S. I just remembered.....arranged marriages are still being planned, even in the 21st century, and maybe even in this country, among "the upper crust", which is made up of wealthy bankers, CEOs, etc.

In the Arab countries, this deplorable institution is, of course, alive and well -- and in a very sinister way, as women can be killed by their own families if they refuse to go along with arranged marriages. And they even marry young girls off -- at a VERY young age, too!!

I recently came across a book titled "I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced". Check it out. This is totally APPALLING!!

Hi Maria - The world of marriages in Trollope, as well a other Victorian novels seems to be a bit of compromise when it came to arraigned marriages. Though I used the word arraigned they were not arranged in that the parents set them up and the participants had little say. rather the young people came under a lot of pressure and influence.

In seems that Trollope's books love is a factor in choosing a spouse, however it is just one factor along with Class and wealth. Some people emphasize some of the factors more then ever. Trollope is so very nuanced!

"I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced" looks disturbing. Arraigned marriages, especially involving children are such a terrible evil.

I think that you would like Trollope, there is a lot of romance in his book. He does not just include social commentary, but life philosophy as well as marvelously crafted characters are typical for him.